Cohesive combined lintel-ceiling



R. GUASTAVINO, Jr. ooHBsIvE COMBINED LINTBL GEILING.

(No Model.)

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' NITE STATES ATENT OFFICE.

RAFAEL GUASTAVINO, JR., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

COHESIVE COMBINED LINTEL-CEILING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 481,755, dated August30, 1892.

Application lecl Tune 23, 1891.

lowing is a specification.

This invention has reference to certain improvements applicable to theconstruction of the ceilings of fireproof and other buildings. Theinvention may be employed in the erection of buildings of alldescriptions, such as dwellings, public edifices, dac.

The object of the invention is to devise a cohesive iiat ceiling whichshall possess the qualities of strength, minimum weight, and cheapness,and which I denominate a combined lintel-ceiling.

Theinvention, with this object in view, consists of the peculiarities ofconstruction hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in theclaims at the end hereof.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and inwhich like features are indicated by like letters of reference in theseveral views, Figure 1 is a plan view of a fragment'of a ceilingembodying my present improvements. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2of Fig. l. Fig. 21L is a detail modification, hereinafter described.Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Figs. l and 2. Fig. 4 is afragmentary sectional view of a ceiling embodying my improvements, butof less thickness than the construction shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is asectional view of an arch embodying certain modifications hereinafterreferred to.

The flat ceilings now commonly employed in reprooing are composed ofhollow clay blocks laid as voussoir, and therefore Working on the sameprincipal as ordinary stone arches. Such a construction possesses thecondition that part of the material composing such a structure under thecurve of pressure is not performing any sustaining function at all, butis simply contributing to the weight of the load, While a part of thematerial over this curve of pressure is performing only the function ofa filling and contributing in no re- Serial No. 397,268. (No model.)

spect to the sustaining function of the structure. Such a constructionas described also possesses the undesirable feature that the top of thekey and the top of the voussoir adjoining the key, which is that part ofthe arch requiring the greatest resistance to the press. ure, and istherefore the place where the arch should have the largest section ofclay, has the same section as the rest of the structure. The spring ofsuch an arch also required great strength, and it was thereforedesirable that the first piece of the arch resting against thebeam-namely, the skeWback-should fit the beam perfectly to givestability to the work; but this result could not always be obtained inburnt clay, and it was therefore necessary to fill up the imperfectionswith material, making the joint thicker than was desirable. These thickjoints at the spring of such arches are the cause of the defects sogenerally found in such structures. An arch of this construction willtherefore always have an excess of joints, and also an excess ofmaterial in places where not needed, and in other places where materialis needed it will not have sufficient, and as the joints of such an archare laid in mortar the slightest settlement of the Work causes the archto assume the appearance of hanging in the middle, whereas its propercondition is flat and not convex. This defect is commonly found innished arches of the type in question and is one very difficult to avoidin practice.

By my invention, as embodied in 'my cohesive combined lintel-ceiling, Iam enabled to overcome the above-enumerated diiiiculties attending theerection of arches of the type referred to. Instead of arranging theplainsurfaced blocks as a voussoir, I construct the blocks for formingthe arch of a special form and so disposethem as to produce a combinedlintel, the series of blocks composing this structure interlocking withone another throughout the length of the arch. I also make use of asecond course of tiles on top, the compressive parts of the arch beingincreased and the top surface of the complete structure having a uniformresistance and being practically a continuous arched Iiagging.

Sci

A peculiarity of my cohesive combined lintel-ceiling is that no block ofthe arch structure can be removed without destroying the block, for thereason that precaution is taken 5 to lay the first line of blocks over asuitable skewback against the wall, andall the other blocks of the archinterlock with one another and with the beams, and thus become, when setin cement, firmly secured to one another, and it would therefore bepractically impossible for the structure to fall or rise withoutdestroying a block or blocks.

Referring now to the drawings, A indicates iron beams of small section,preferably in the I5 form of rolled I-beams. These beams extend betweenthe side walls or end walls of the building and, if found desirable, mayhave supports intermediate of said walls of suitable ireproofconstruction.

B indicates hollow t-ile-blocks,which constitute the first or outersurface course of the ceiling. These tile-blocks are of the form shownin Figs. 3 and 4, and are, say, twelve inches long by six inches wideand of variable thickness. Their short sides or ends are square, whiletheir long sides are provided with uniform depressions and elevations ofsuch form as to permit the interlocking of the blocks with one anotherwhen placed in position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In Fig. 3 the blocksB are shown provided with a series of such interlocking elements ontheirlong sides, while in Fig. 4 the blocks are provided with a singledepression and elevation on their respective long sides, the latter formbeing em ployed for ceilings designed to have half the thickness of theceiling shown in Fig. 3. The top and bottom surfaces of the tiles ineither case are square or flat, as indicated in the drawings.

The tile-blocks B are laid in cement or plaster and with theirlongitudinal sides perpendicular to the beams-that is to say, the holesin the blocks facing the beamsthus making few joints and hence a morestable structure. The blocks B are also laid to break joints with oneanother, as indicated in the plan View, Fig. l. It will be readilyunderstood that when this arch is laid between the beams in the mannerstated,with the tongueand-groove joints locking the series of blocks toone another, a structure of great strength and permanency is secured.

The tile-blocks B which are adjacent to the beams A are so formed or cutaway at ct as to incase or overlap the lower flanges of said beams, thusentirely concealing the iron on the ceiling surface; or, if desired, theblocks may be cut or beveled at the bottom in the manner shown in Fig. 2and a tile Z2,With beveled sides, placed beneath the lower flange of thebeam A between the depending beveled surfaces of the tile-blocks B andsecured by cement or plaster.

65 Referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings, it will be seen that thetile-blocks B are of variable heights or thicknesses, those restingagainst the beam A being thinnest and the next of somewhat greaterheight, and so on to the middle or crown of the arch, which is the 7chighest point of all. The series of steps thus formed on the top of thestructure, each of an inch or less in height, gives the form of a rougharch on said top. These irregularities are covered by cement c to evenup the top surface of the arch, and over the whole is laid in cement acourse of thin fiat tiles C. This construction, which forms a regulararch with increasing moment in the middle, permits the building oflarger spans than when employing the form of structure shown in theother views, and any partition or weight in the middle of this arch willnot affect its stability. Referring now to Figs. l to 4, the course oftile-blocks B, constructed as de- 8 5 scribed, may be reinforced by acourse of thin fiat tiles C, laid in cement on top of said tileblocksand so as to break joints with the latter, as indicated in the drawings.As the thickness of the ceiling is less than the vertical measurement ofthe beams A, there will be a space between the top course of tiles C andthe ioor which is designed to rest upon the top iianges of said beams.The exposed or ceiling surface of the course of tile-blocks B is withoutbreaks or irregularities and flat.

By this invention I produce a cohesive combined lintel-ceiling that isvery simple in construction and cheap and having a uniform topsurfaceresistance, the said top surface being roo essentially the same as if itwere a single continuous stone or nagging.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a cohesive combined lintel-ceiling, a course of hollow tile-blocksprovided on their long sides with interlocking tongueand groove jointsand laid in cement or plaster with their longitudinal sidesperpendicular to 1 1o the supporting-beams and breaking joints andcoacting with one another to form continuous grooved joints interlacedwith each other to form a lintel from beam to beam, substantially as setforth.

2. In a cohesive combined lintel-ceiling, a course of hollow tile-blocksprovided with interlocking tongue-and-groove joints and laid in plasteror cement with their longitudinal sides perpendicular to thesupporting-beams 12o and breaking joints with one another and a secondcourse of thin tiles laid fiat in cement or plaster on top of saidcourse of int-erlocked tile-blocks and breaking joints with the latter,substantially as set forth.

3. In a cohesive combined lintel-ceiling, a course of hollow tile-blocksprovided with tongue-and-groove joints on their long sides and laid incement with their longitudinal Sides perpendicular to thesupporting-beams 13o and of variable heights or thicknesses from Signedat Boston, in the county of Suffolk the beams toward the crown of thearch, thus andlState of Massachusetts, this 16th day of forming a seriesof steps, a, filling of cement May, A. D. 1891.

to even up the top surface of the structure, RAFAEL GUASTAVINO, J R. 5and a course of thin at tiles laid in cement Witnesses:

on the top of the whole, substantially as set KATIE L.` RATIGAN,

forth. JAMES W. BEAsLEY.

